Netflix is experimenting with promos you would have to sit through before your show starts

The next time you settle down to stream something on Netflix, you may first see a promo for the new season of "Orange is the New Black" or Marvel's "Daredevil."
Me, when I see an ad before "Daredevil" starts.
Ursula Coyote for Netflix

Netflix, the largest subscription streaming service in the world, has been experimenting with showing advertisements for its own original programming, the site Cord Cutter News recently reported.

A Netflix spokesperson told Business Insider on Monday that the ads are only "trailers for Netflix originals," which include series like Marvel's "Daredevil" and the political thriller "House of Cards."

"As you know, we test hundreds of potential improvements to the service every year," a company spokesperson told BI. "Many never extend beyond that."

According to Cord Cutter News, trailers have appeared for subscribers who watch on devices like Xbox One gaming consules, Roku streaming boxes, and Tivo DVRs, and for some people, have appeared both before and after a show starts.

The Netflix spokesperson said that the company has no plans for any third-party advertising, meaning if the promos roll out to all subscribers, you wouldn't be seeing ads for Ford and Budweiser, only teasers for Netflix's programming.

"No advertising coming onto Netflix. Period. Just adding relevant cool trailers for other Netflix content you are likely to love."

Netflix frequently tinkers with its user interface, experimenting with changes that get people to stream more and help them discover movies and TV shows the company thinks that specific subscribers will like. Netflix will test out a new feature or small changes to the service with a small group of subscribers, and if something works, roll it out to everyone.

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Marvel's "Daredevil" on Netflix
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There's no guarantee, however, that all Netflix subscribers will be seeing promos for shows.

Netflix only makes money from subscribers, so the company does whatever it can to get people to stream more and make the service more valuable to subscribers.

The company, which now has about 60 million paying subscribers, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in creating original programming to differentiate itself from competitors like HBO, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus. Netflix is reportedly spending more than $450 million on original programming just this year, an 88% increase, according to the media research firm MoffettNathanson, reported The New York Times.